Torque converter configured for cross-flow to pressure chambers

Abstract

A torque converter, including: a cover; a lock-up clutch with a piston plate; an output hub; a first hub including a through-bore; a chamber bounded by the turbine; an apply chamber bounded by the piston plate; a release chamber bounded by the cover, the first hub, and the piston plate; a first flow path; a through-bore through the first hub; and a second flow path. The second flow path: is sealed from the first chamber; passes through the through-bore; and includes a portion circumferentially aligned with the first flow path. A line in an axial direction passes through the through-bore without intersecting the first hub. For a lock-up mode, pressurized fluid in the apply chamber displaces the piston plate in a first axial direction. For a torque converter mode, pressurized fluid in the release chamber displaces the piston plate in a second axial direction.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A torque converter; comprising:
 an axis of rotation; 
 a cover arranged to receive torque; 
 an impeller; 
 a turbine; 
 a lock-up clutch including a piston plate; 
 an output hub connected to the turbine and arranged to non-rotatably connect to a transmission input shaft; 
 a first hub connected to the cover: 
 a through-bore bounded in first and second opposite radial directions by the first hub; 
 a first chamber bounded at least in part by the turbine; 
 an apply chamber bounded at least in part by the piston plate; 
 a release chamber bounded at least in part by the cover, the first hub, and the piston plate; 
 a first flow path; 
 a second flow path sealed from the first chamber:
 passing through the through-bore; and, 
 including a portion circumferentially aligned with the first flow path, wherein: 
 
 a line in a first axial direction passes through an entirety of the through-bore without intersecting the first hub; 
 for a lock-up mode for the torque converter, in which the piston plate is non-rotatably connected to the cover, first pressurized fluid is arranged to flow through the first flow path into the apply chamber and displace the piston plate in the first axial direction; and, 
 for a torque converter mode for the torque converter, in which the cover is rotatable with respect to the piston plate, second pressurized fluid is arranged to flow through the second flow path into the release chamber and displace the piston plate in a second axial direction, opposite the first axial direction, to disconnect the piston plate from the cover. 
 
     
     
       2. The torque converter of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a flow plate non-rotatably connected to the first hub, wherein:
 the flow plate bounds, in part, the first flow path and the second flow path; and, 
 the through-bore passes through the flow plate. 
 
 
     
     
       3. The torque converter of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the flow plate includes:
 a first surface facing in the first axial direction and bounding, in part, the first flow path; and, 
 a second surface facing in the second axial direction and bounding, in part, the second flow path. 
 
 
     
     
       4. The torque converter of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a groove:
 bounded in the first axial direction by the first hub; and, 
 bounded in the second axial direction by the flow plate, wherein the first flow path passes through the groove. 
 
 
     
     
       5. The torque converter of  claim 4 , wherein a line, orthogonal to the axis of rotation, passes through an entirety of the groove without intersecting the first hub or the flow plate. 
     
     
       6. The torque converter of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a flow plate non-rotatably connected to the first hub, wherein:
 the first axial direction is from the impeller toward the turbine; 
 the first flow path includes:
 a first end open to the apply chamber; and, 
 a second end:
 at an inner circumference of the torque converter; 
 radially inward of the first end; and, 
 bounded in part by the flow plate; 
 
 
 the second flow path includes:
 a third end open to the release chamber; and, 
 a fourth end:
 at the inner circumference; 
 radially inward of the third end; and, 
 bounded by the output hub and the flow plate; and, 
 
 
 the second end is located further in the first axial direction than the fourth end. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The torque converter of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a backing plate non-rotatably connected to the cover and bounding, in part, the apply chamber, wherein:
 the second end is bounded in the first and second axial directions by the hub and the flow plate, respectively; and, 
 the fourth end is radially disposed between the backing plate and the plate. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The torque converter of  claim 6 , wherein the fourth end is bounded:
 in a radially outward direction by the output hub; and, 
 in a radially inward direction by the flow plate. 
 
     
     
       9. The torque converter of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a backing plate non-rotatably connected to the cover and bounding, in part, the apply chamber; and, 
 a seal:
 in contact with the backing plate and the output hub; and, 
 sealing the second flow path from the first chamber. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The torque converter of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a backing plate non-rotatably connected to the cover, wherein a line orthogonal to the axis of rotation passes through in sequence: the axis of rotation; the flow plate; the fourth end; the output hub; and the backing plate. 
 
     
     
       11. The torque converter of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a turbine shell non-rotatably connected to the output hub, wherein the first hub is non-rotatably connected to the cover. 
 
     
     
       12. A torque converter, comprising:
 an axis of rotation; 
 a cover arranged to receive torque; 
 an impeller including an impeller shell; 
 a turbine; 
 a flow plate non-rotatably connected to the cover; 
 a through-bore through the flow plate; 
 a lock-up clutch including a piston plate; 
 an output hub non-rotatably connected to the turbine and arranged to non-rotatably connect to a transmission input shaft; 
 a first chamber bounded at least in part by the impeller shell; 
 an apply chamber bounded at least in part by the piston plate; 
 a release chamber bounded at least in part by the cover and the piston plate; 
 a first flow path including a first radially innermost end bounded in a first axial direction by the flow plate; and, 
 a second flow path:
 sealed from the first chamber; and, 
 including a second radially innermost end:
 bounded in first and second opposite radial directions by the output hub and the flow plate, respectively; and, 
 located further in the first axial direction, than the first radially innermost end, wherein: 
 
 
 the first axial direction is parallel to the axis of rotation and from the turbine toward the impeller; 
 a line in the first axial direction passes through the through-bore without intersecting the flow plate; 
 for a lock-up mode, first pressurized fluid is arranged to flow through the first radially, innermost end and the first flow path into the apply chamber to displace the piston plate in a second axial direction, opposite the first axial direction, and non-rotatably connect the cover and the piston plate; and, 
 for a torque converter mode, second pressurized fluid is arranged to flow through the second flow path to displace the piston plate in the first axial direction, to disconnect the piston plate from the cover. 
 
     
     
       13. The torque converter of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a first hub non-rotatably connected to the cover and the flow plate, wherein:
 the through-bore passes through the first hub; and, 
 the line does not intersect the first hub. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The torque converter of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a backing plate non-rotatably connected to the flow plate and bounding a portion of the apply chamber, wherein:
 the second radially innermost end is radially disposed between the backing plate and the flow plate; and, 
 the line passes through the backing plate. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The torque converter of  claim 14 , further comprising a seal:
 in contact with the backing plate and the output hub; and, 
 sealing the second flow path from the first chamber. 
 
     
     
       16. The torque converter of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a first hub non-rotatably connected to the cover and the flow plate, wherein:
 the flow plate includes:
 a first portion and a second portion, each in contact with the first hub; and, 
 a groove bounded in first and second opposite circumferential directions by the first portion and the second portion, respectively; 
 
 the first flow path passes through the groove; and, 
 a line, orthogonal to the axis of rotation, passes through an entirety of the groove without intersecting the first hub or the flow plate. 
 
 
     
     
       17. A torque converter, comprising:
 a cover arranged to receive torque; 
 an impeller; 
 a turbine; 
 a lock-up clutch including a piston plate; 
 a first hub fixedly connected to the cover; 
 a through-bore through the first hub; 
 an output hub non-rotatably connected to the turbine and arranged to non-rotatably connect to an input shaft for a transmission; 
 a first chamber bounded at least in part by the turbine; 
 an apply chamber bounded at least in part by the piston plate; 
 a release chamber bounded at least in part by the cover, the first hub, and the piston plate; 
 a first flow path including a first end:
 at an inner circumference of the torque converter; and, 
 bounded in part by the first hub; 
 
 a second flow path passing through the through-bore and including a second end:
 at the inner circumference: 
 bounded in part by the output hub; and, 
 located further in a first axial direction than the first end, wherein: 
 
 a line in the first axial direction passes through an entirety of the through-bore without intersecting the first hub; 
 the second flow path is sealed from the first chamber; 
 the first axial direction is from the turbine toward the impeller; 
 for a lock-up mode, first pressurized fluid is arranged to flow through the first end into the apply chamber to displace the piston plate in a second axial direction, opposite the first axial direction, and non-rotatably connect the cover and the piston plate; and, 
 for a torque converter mode; second pressurized fluid is arranged to flow through the second end into the release chamber to displace the piston plate in the first axial direction and disconnect the piston plate from the cover. 
 
     
     
       18. The torque converter of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a backing plate non-rotatably connected to the cover and bounding in part the apply chamber; and, 
 a flow plate non-rotatably connected to the backing plate, wherein:
 the second end is radially disposed between the flow plate and the backing plate; and, 
 the line passes through the backing plate. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The torque converter of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a flow plate bounding in part the first flow path and the second flow path; 
 a groove:
 bounded in the first axial direction by the flow plate; and, 
 bounded in the second axial direction by the first hub, wherein:
 the first flow path passes through the groove; and, 
 a line orthogonal to an axis of rotation of the torque converter passes through the groove without intersecting the first hub or the flow plate. 
 
 
 
     
     
       20. The torque converter of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the first end is bounded in the first and second axial directions by the flow plate and the first hub, respectively; and, 
 the second end is bounded in:
 a radially outward direction by the output hub; and, 
 a radially inward direction by the flow plate.